Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura

Book Review: The Routledge Handbook of Multilingualism

María Luisa Valencia — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

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Epistemological Challenges of Plurilingualism for Diversifying French Language Teaching

Carolina Villada Castro — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

In this theoretical article, we explore epistemological issues raised by plurilingual education in French language teaching, aiming to propose conceptual tools to diversify its instruction. To do this, we analyze conceptualizations of the didactics of plurilingualism, plurilingual approaches, and plurilingual appropriation competence, based on an epistemological reflection on interdisciplinary francophone research over the last two decades, in dialogue with our reflexive experience in the field. This being the case, the thesis of this article asserts that highlighting learners’ heterogeneous linguistic and cultural repertoires and otherness in the teaching-learning process, makes it possible to pluralize the teaching of French. This thesis will lead to an observation, the need to question the proscription of translation from the didactics-didactology of languages and to call for the return of resignified translation by virtue of its heuristic and methodological functions, in order to motivate more emancipatory practices in the teaching of French, and more broadly, of translation in its teaching.

On the Emergence of the Concept of “Linguistic Rights” in Brazilian Legal Doctrine

Marcos Paulo Santa Rosa Matos, Maria Leônia Garcia Costa Carvalho — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This paper analyzes the development of the concept of “linguistic rights” in Brazilian legal discourse, highlighting its theoretical evolution, political advocacy and incorporation into national legislation, based on the notion of “archive” proposed by the French school of discourse analysis. The text is structured in three parts: firstly, it looks at the contribution of Francisco Gomes de Matos, whose lists of rights and calls for recognition were crucial to the theoretical discussion and political mobilization in favor of these rights, especially in the international context. Next, the assimilation of language rights into Brazilian legal norms is examined, with emphasis on the protection of minority communities (deaf people, indigenous people, quilombolas, descendants of immigrants and foreigners) and the importance of the 1988 Constitution in this process. Finally, we discuss the proposal for a general legal discipline for language rights, represented by Bill 489/2019, which could constitute a significant framework for their protection in the country. The analysis shows the complexity and challenges in making language rights effective in Brazil, while recognizing the rich memory of struggles and advances that support this cause.

Bridging Linguistic Divides? A Critical Exploration of Machine Translation’s Role in Fostering Cross-Cultural Accessibility in Literature

Gys-Walt van Egdom — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This article is situated at the interstices of literary translation and language technology, and revolves around the multifaceted concept of Weltliteratur. It is conceived of as an invitation to a critical dialogue on leveraging machine translation to promote linguistic and cultural diversity in literature. In a globalised world where cultural flows are not equally distributed, the need arises to examine the role of machine translation as a tool to promote diversity in the linguistic and cultural landscape, thus establishing what might be considered a Weltliteratur. Drawing from mainstays in translation studies, computational linguistics, cultural and literary studies, this article proposes strategies for leveraging machine translation effectively, but also cautions against an all too simplistic adoption of language technology in the steadfast pursuit of a more diverse and inclusive literature. Ultimately, this article aims to spark a debate on the balance between technological efficiency and the complexities of cultural representation in literary translation.

Multilingual Policies and Practices in Higher Education: A Nation-Wide Exploration in Colombia

Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

In the last two decades, foreign language policies in Colombia have prioritized English across the education system, aiming for international competitiveness and educational quality. These policies have sparked concerns among educators, including language stratification, commodification of English for the privileged, adoption of foreign benchmarks, insufficient policy implementation, and limitations of the English-Spanish bilingual model compared to multilingual perspectives. Inspired by critical race theory and decoloniality, this qualitative study examines higher education policies in Colombia, focusing on how they address multilingualism and the country's sociocultural diversity. The study explores language policies related to student access, retention, and graduation; language requirements for faculty; and the promotion of various languages. Data collection involved a documentary analysis, interviews and surveys conducted across 16 universities from different regions of the country. Findings suggest the ongoing pervasiveness of English language-centered ideologies in most participating institutions, the invisibilities these ideologies and associated practices bring about in universities, and some emergent policies aiming at promoting multilingualism. The recommendations emanated from this study could resonate with universities both in Colombia and internationally, particularly those in similar contexts.

Localisation Loss in the French Versions of Websites from the Andalusian Agri-Food Sector

Cristina de las Montañas Ramírez-Delgado — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Research in translation studies addressing the corporate website text genre has reported some content loss that occurs in localized versions when compared to the original versions. This study focuses on the contrastive analysis of a corpus of homepages and products sections from corporate websites from the Andalusian agri-food sector, studying their original versions (in Spanish) and the versions localised into English and French, according to a localization error taxonomy. The analysis focuses on assessing content loss in French versions, given that France is one of the main export destinations of the Andalusian agri-food industry. It is worth noticing that English versions tend to have less shortcomings than those localised into other languages, which may due to the international status of this language. Results show mainly shortcomings related to content omissions, untranslated text, and English text in versions localised into French, which puts French versions at a disadvantage in relation to English versions.

Linguistic and Textual Characteristics of Film Audio Description in Uruguay

Soledad Álvarez Lamas, Mayte Victoria Gorrostorrazo Babuglia — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

In Uruguay, audio description is an emergent field of study, with no more than twenty Uruguayan films audio described thus far. Considering that audio description scripts are a new text type, it is relevant to know their most notable linguistic and textual characteristics in the case of Uruguayan cinema. This work is the result of an empirical research project focused on audio description in Uruguayan fiction films based on data obtained from a multimodal corpus created specifically for this study. This corpus is composed of eleven audio described Uruguayan fiction films and their corresponding audio description scripts. It was analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively using AntConc and MAXQDA software to describe linguistic and textual recurrences in audio description scripts. The quantitative analysis showed the presence of nouns and verbs as the most frequent word classes, the relatively low frequency of adjectives, and the predominant types of lexemes (those of perception, movement, proper names of characters, and body parts). The qualitative analysis revealed that the semantic fields of movement, perception, the emotional and mental states of characters, their characterization, and the designation and description of the setting stand out in these Uruguayan audio descriptions. This study may contribute both to research in audio description and to audio descriptor training and professional practice.

Language Policies Towards Spanish in Trinidad & Tobago and the Philippines: An Exploratory Study

Antony Hoyte-West — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

The small Caribbean republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the much larger southeast Asian republic of the Philippines shared colonial rule first by Spain and then by a major English-speaking power (the United Kingdom, in the case of Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States, in the case of the Philippines). Recent years have seen a distinct resurgence in interest towards the Spanish language and culture in the two island nations. Applying a cyclical five-stage language policy framework, this comparative exploratory analysis foregrounds the political, educational, and sociocultural developments regarding Spanish as a foreign language through the prism of the model’s stages of language policy emergence, agenda setting, formulation, implementation, and evaluation. This is achieved through desk-based analysis, thereby enabling a deeper understanding of the policy-related factors underpinning approaches to Spanish in the two case studies, whilst also noting the importance of relevant geopolitical factors. Finally, further suggestions are given to expand the scope of the analysis in the future. The model applied could be extended to include other Caribbean and southeast Asian countries, thereby enriching wider discussions on policies relating to the role and status of Spanish in the regional and international contexts.

Romanian Medicine Schools as Multilingual Spaces: Challenges in New Diploma Migrations

Anamaria Ioniță, Monica Vlad — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This qualitative study examines several issues on multilingualism, healthcare communication, and how linguistic diversity is managed in clinical settings. Through a survey among a group of international students enrolled in medicine programs with English as a medium of instruction at the Ovidius University in Constanta (Romania), we analyze the multilingual communication strategies and modalities they deploy in their practicum at hospital in their host country. The analysis of the results showed the importance of intensifying and extending teaching and learning of the host country’s language and culture, as well as the need for the hospital to train practitioners in linguistic and cultural diversity, and to tap into international students’ multilingual language skills. Qualitative results highlighted the characteristics of the Romanian hospital setting in general, and the hospital clinical practicum in particular, as well as the communication strategies deployed in the interactional triad of foreign student - medical staff - patient.

From Exclusion to Active Intergenerational Participation: A Dubbing Project in a Minoritised Indigenous Language

Maria Montroy, Inés María García-Azkoaga — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Forro is a minority language in São Tomé and Príncipe (Africa) that coexists with Portuguese (the hegemonic language). It has limited social presence and minimal institutional support. It is predominantly spoken by the elderly, who experience significant social exclusion. This work is the result of a project with a twofold objective: firstly, to identify potential tools to enhance intergenerational relations and the social well-being of the elderly; secondly, to ascertain the impact of intergenerational language transmission activities on the broader community. The study is being conducted in collaboration with a non-governmental organisation for development in the Santo Amaro community. It is our contention that dubbing can be an instrument for intergenerational communication. In order to test this assertion, a workshop was designed in which a digital animation was dubbed with the participation of elderly individuals and children from the same community with the results of the activity undergoing a qualitative analysis. The benefits of a dubbing workshop, such as the one proposed, are confirmed in terms of its positive impact on different cultural and social aspects. It allows the rights of speakers to be made visible and promoted, as well as providing them with social projection, and breaking down interlinguistic barriers. On the one hand, the project has the potential to challenge existing intergenerational and cultural prejudices; on the other hand, the community benefits from a collaborative work that makes quality digital audiovisual material available to them, which was previously non-existent in this minoritised language.

Visions of the Earth: Colombian Indigenous Women Learning English from a Gender-Based and Multilingual Perspective

Angela Patricia Velásquez-Hoyos, Zoila Liliana Giraldo-Martinez — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This case study is the result of a pedagogical intervention within the project Visions of the Earth in which 18 Colombian Indigenous women participated. Participants came from diverse Indigenous communities across different regions of Colombia. The project, Visions of the Earth, emerged as an initiative in collaboration with the Colombian Network of Indigenous Women in the Academia (RedColmia) and Universidad de Caldas. The project aimed to strengthen participants’ academic English through a year-long online program. Bi-monthly sessions were conducted by university professors and international guests, exploring visions of the Earth through texts by Indigenous writers who addressed historical exclusion and discrimination faced by Indigenous women in academia. Data were collected through two semi-structured surveys and participants’ artifacts. Despite debates on language erosion, participant perceptions underscore the importance of learning English as an empowering tool. Findings reveal that learning English under an Indigenous women gender-based perspective and multilingual approach is a medium for cultural appreciation, identity redefinition, and a means to share their unique perspectives on the Earth. This study provides insights into the intersection of language development, cultural identity, and academic empowerment for Indigenous communities.

Stakeholder Perspectives on the Integration of African Languages in Higher Education Learning: A South African Case Study

Wanga Gambushe — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Since the dawn of democracy in South Africa (1994), higher education has ex- perienced substantial demographic changes. Despite South Africa’s status as a multilingual country with linguistic diversity recognised by the Constitution, higher education institutions inadequately represent this multilingualism. This gap has been identified as a contributing factor to the underperformance of students who speak Indigenous African languages in higher education. Con- sequently, various policies have been implemented to amplify the presence of African languages in higher education. Employing a case study design, this research aimed to delve into the perspectives of diverse stakeholders in a Cell Bi- ology module at a South African university regarding the use of African languages to support learning in higher education. Students, lecturers, and practical demon- strators were asked about their thoughts on the use of African languages to assist African language-speaking students. Findings revealed a divide in opinion, with students overwhelmingly in favour, lecturers expressing conflicting views, and demonstrators who spoke African languages generally supportive, while others had reservations. In the end, the central question posed is: Whose opinion holds more significance, that of the students or their lecturers?

Study Abroad Programming in Writing Centers in Colombia and the USA: Lessons in Translanguaging, Decolonial Theory, and Programming

Rodrigo A. Rodríguez-Fuentes, Harry Denny — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

As a product of both Universidad del Norte and Purdue University engaging in a partnership around shared academic interests, academic study exchanges, and multilingual education, this case study reports on a grant-funded student exchange that used a translanguaging approach to explore how aspects of English and Spanish have an influence on tutor education around writing centers. The first section of the paper describes in detail the exchange program and its background, including how the student research projects consciously emphasized the way this partnership could foreground practical approaches to translanguaging informed by decoloniality views. The second section acknowledges that our project emphasized pragmatic needs and institutional goals but should have better embedded guidance and lessons from decolonial theory. The third section of the paper includes the lessons that complement both decolonial theory and translanguaging pedagogy in study abroad contexts and the programming intricacies of an academic exchange conditioned by institutionality and local contexts. The last section is a brief conclusion about the exchange program, its ideological impact on both universities, and the need for future collaboration to foreground decolonial insight on planning and proposals for cross-institutional projects, especially in the context of mentoring writers at the intersection of nationality and cultivation of voice, agency and rhetoric.

Perspectives and Trends in Foreign Language Policies in China: The Case of Portuguese

Júlio Reis Jatobá — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This case study aims to provide a review of language policies pertaining to foreign language teaching in China through the lens of China's geopolitical position and its self-perception as one of the leaders and most active actors in developing South-South cooperation. From an initial study of 127 academic materials, documents, and news articles containing explicit or implicit references to policies, initiatives, or proposals related to the development and planning of less commonly taught foreign languages —Portuguese among them— at the tertiary level, 35 sources were selected for further analysis of the relationship between foreign language education and China’s foreign policy. These sources shed light on the multifaceted nature of language policies in China, particularly in relation to foreign language teaching. Ultimately, this analysis seeks to identify patterns, developments, and implications for China's foreign language instruction approach.

Linguistic and Cultural Mediation in the Context of Academic Mobility Abroad: A Systematic Review

Sara Lucía Monroy — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This article analyzes how functional the “mediation” category is in the context of higher education internationalization, as several research works report that international students must face multiple challenges during their academic stay abroad. To do this, we carry out a systematic review of empirical studies published between 2020 and 2023 that account for linguistic-cultural strains in international academic mobility scenarios. Particularly, we focus on conceptualizing the term “mediation”, what circumstances led to it, and which strategies were implemented to overcome barriers hindering intercomprehension. Drawing on the PRISMA statement guidelines, we designed a methodological path, which involved gathering together a sample of 43 entries for in-depth analysis. Findings reveal that implementing English as a medium of instruction in non-Anglophone countries is a stress factor in classrooms abroad. In response to this situation, translanguaging operates as the mediation strategy with the best potential to overcome communicational gaps in these scenarios as well as promoting multilingualism, inclusion, and educational equity for worldwide higher education. To conclude, we discuss the importance of universities including their research contributions on linguistic and cultural mediation in their language policy-making for local and international students.

Policies and Practices for Global Multilingualism

Gilvan Müller de Oliveira, Umarani Pappuswamy, Martha Lucía Pulido Correa — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500